AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 69 



As a result of the first year's experiments, the lime 

 treatment of rice has been found most satisfactory, th-3 

 stored rice being rendered practically immune from all pests 

 without impairing the edible qualities. It must, however, 

 be noted that the preliminary experiment was done on a 

 very small scale and further tests on a larger scale are now 

 in hand to check this result. The same remark applies to 

 several other samples of wheat and pulses treated in differ- 

 ent ways, and all are being retested on a larger scale. One 

 'curious case may, however, be mentioned here as at present 

 it seems rather inexplicable; a jar of wheat grains infested 

 with Calandra oryzce had about half an inch in depth of 

 dry sand spread evenly in a layer over the top of the wheat; 

 in due course the weevils emerged and made their way up 

 through the sand which, however, they seemed unable to 

 penetrate again, and all the adult weevils died and formed 

 a layer on top of the sand, leaving the underlying wheat 

 grains unaffected by any further weevils. At first sight it 

 seemed that the experiment had been successful and that a 

 simple layer of dry sand would form an efficient protection 

 for wheat stored either for sowing or for food ; but, on test- 

 ing, this wheat failed to germinate. It was closed up in a 

 glass jar : but so were other samples, equally, more, and less 

 affected by weevils, and kept in exactly similar jars; yet 

 these other samples germinated successfully. 



V. Bees, Lac and Silk. 



1. Bees. Experiments, with Apis indica were conti- 

 nued. The Wax Moth (Galleria meUonella) gained 

 entrance to the hives at an unexpected period (December) 

 and destroyed five out of seven colonies; other colonies were 

 procured but these were a little too late for the honey flow. 



One colony of Apis indica was specially worked (1) to- 

 check swarming and (2) to attain the maximum yield of 

 honey. Swarming was checked successfully and the yield of 

 surplus honey was 15J lb. i.e., about double the ordinary 

 quantity. The result was attained by improved methods 



